Big 12 Media Days dispatch: Rhule embracing tough conversations about Baylor

[caption id="attachment_31272" align="alignright" width="350"] Photo by Mary Scott McNabb[/caption] The news and investigations regarding the correlation between sexual assault and Baylor Athletics appear to have no end in sight, but for Matt Rhule and Baylor Athletics, the hope for improvement, change, and healing is already in place. “When I arrived in Waco in December, I knew that there would be challenges, but I also saw a tremendous opportunity to coach the game that I love in a tremendous football conference and at a university that shared my personal values,” Rhule said at Big 12 Media Days. “What I’ve learned in my time at Baylor and Waco is we’re not running from the past, but rather we’re learning from it.” Throughout his entire press conference, Rhule reiterated the idea of a culture and a “tradition of excellence” he instills in his players and his program. “We’re building a culture, not an attitude . . . They’ve been working since January to make sure that we build a program that’s committed to the total person, to the character of the young people that we coach.” “What you do off the field, what you do in the classroom, how you treat other people is just as important as how you run a curl, how you run a post.” Often times there is a concern in all levels of athletics that coaches, players, and programs value the performance on the field over the performance and cooperation off the field. However, Rhule insisted that the two aspects complement and balance one another equally. “I don’t think one thing is more important than the other. Everything counts, and everything’s important. That’s how we try to run our program. That’s how we try to live our lives.” When asked about his ability and the importance of confronting the issue Rhule explained, “Because that which we don’t acknowledge, we’re doomed to repeat.”